Without Backup
by magic-dust20
Summary: Ziva chases an armed subject after being ordered to wait for backup, Gibbs is not happy about it. WARNING: Contains the disciplinary spanking of an adult. If that bothers you, then do not read it. Hit that little BACK button.
1. Chapter 1

Without Backup

**Summary:** Ziva chases an armed subject after being ordered to wait for backup, Gibbs is not happy about it.

**Warning: ** Contains the disciplinary spanking of an adult. If that bothers you, then do not read it. Hit that little BACK button.

**Warning: **Contains a few bad words.

**Attention:** This story is set early in season three.

* * *

Tony, Ziva, and Tim were busily typing at their computers trying to come up with a lead on the current case they were working on. A shipment of Naval issued weapons were stolen from a Naval base, and they had no leads. It had been two days since the theft, and Gibbs was getting impatient.

"Got something, Boss." Tim said, as he starting writing quickly on a piece of paper. "Lieutenant Christopher Colby's bank account just gained seventy thousand dollars about an hour ago."

"He's been on leave for the past three days." Tony said.

"Address." Gibbs barked.

"Right here." McGee held up the piece of paper he had been writing on.

"Grab your gear." Gibbs said, heading for the elevator. The other three quickly followed.

The ride to Colby's house took an hour, it was a small one story house with houses close by on each side.

Gibbs and Tony went to the front porch, while Tim and Ziva went around back. Gibbs nodded at Tony, and the younger man opened the door. Then both men burst into the room with their guns drawn. They heard the back door open and knew that Tim and Ziva were also in the house.

A quick search of the house revealed no one home, and no weapons were there either.

"McGee." Gibbs said, "Check that thing." He nodded towards a computer.

Tim sat at the desk and started typing, while the others looked throughout the house for clues.

"Hey Boss." McGee said. "Either this guy is cocky, or just not computer savvy. He doesn't have any password protection."

"Anything useful?" Gibbs asked.

"A list of all the weapons that were stolen, along with a list of buyers. The biggest shipment was sold to a group of home grown terrorists called The Freedom Militia, that's were the seventy thousand dollars came from. He's giving them the guns in forty five minutes at the docks by the waterfront."

"Let's roll."

* * *

They made it to the docks and fanned out. Gibbs was the first to spot the bad guys and called the others over through the earwigs. The four squatted behind crates and watched as crates of weapons were loaded onto a boat.

"That's Colby." Tony nodded towards one of the men. He was talking to another man while three more men loaded the boat.

Gibbs and his team fanned out once again and got in position, one on each side of the group of men. They got as close as they could, using crates and boats as cover. Gibbs gave the signal and all four stood up with their guns aimed at the five men.

"NCIS!" Tony shouted. "Freeze!"

The startled men all went for their guns and started shooting, but the gun fight only lasted a few moments. Gibbs and his team had the advantage of good cover, while the bad guys were out in the open. They quickly dropped their guns and raised their hands in surrender.

As Gibbs and his team approached, Colby grabbed one of the other men and threw him forward. Then he took off running. Ziva immediately gave chase.

"Watch them." Gibbs ordered Tony and Tim, then he too gave chase. There were too many crates and other debris on the docks for either to get a clear shot.

Ziva closed the distance between herself and Colby, then the man turned and aimed a gun at her. Ziva dove behind a crate as he fired, then Colby continued running. And Ziva continued the chase, with Gibbs gaining on them.

Colby ducked between two sheds and they lost him. Gibbs motioned for Ziva to go one why and he went the other.

After a moment, Ziva spotted the man, and he spotted her. Colby fired at her and she dove behind another crate and returned fire.

"Ziva?" Gibbs' voice asked through the earwig.

"I am fine." She replied, as she continued to return fire. "North side, by storage shed five."

"On my way." Gibbs replied.

"So are McGee and me." Tony's voice came through the earwigs. "Dock security has the others in custody."

A bullet hit the barrel of Ziva's gun and she dropped it with a yell, it skidded under the crate and she knew she could not get it without using a forklift to move the heavy crate. She saw Colby run into the building.

"Ziva?" three voices asked.

"I lost my weapon." She replied, "Colby is inside storage shed five."

"Hold position." Gibbs ordered.

"He may try to get out through the back." Ziva argued, as she ran towards the building.

"Hold position, Officer David!" Gibbs barked. "That is an order!"

Ziva stopped for a moment, then continued towards the building. She did not need backup, she could handle herself. She slowly entered the building and scanned the room, but did not see Colby.

She slowly made her way further into the building, then she saw a slight movement to her left. Ziva spun around just as Colby raised his gun. She dove forward and tackled the man, knocking them both to the floor.

Ziva easily gained the upper hand, and had the man on his stomach with his hands cuffed behind his back. Then she heard a noise behind her, and then felt a sharp pain explode in the back of her head. Then all she saw was darkness.

* * *

Gibbs, Tony, and McGee burst into the building with their guns drawn. They saw Ziva laying unconscious on the floor, and a man standing over her aiming a gun at her. Colby was standing beside the man, his hands still cuffed behind his back.

"NCIS!" Tony shouted. "Drop your weapon!"

The man had three guns pointed at him, so he slowly lowered his gun. Tony and McGee quickly took control of the two men, while Gibbs knelt beside Ziva.

"She okay, Boss?" Tony asked, worry evident in his voice.

"She's fine." Gibbs said, as she started waking up. Then his voice turned hard, "For now."

"W..what happened?" Ziva asked, as Gibbs gently helped her to her feet.

"You disobeyed a direct order and got yourself knocked unconscious." Gibbs growled.

"There was another suspect in here." Ziva said.

"No kidding." Gibbs said, his voice still hard. He put his face within an inch of Ziva's. "This discussion is far from over Officer David." Then he turned and walked off.

Ziva watched him go and became very nervous. She had seen Gibbs pissed before, but not at her. She hated to admit it, but the man was very intimidating. She knew he was angry that she had let Colby and his accomplice get the upper hand, and that they had almost escaped.

* * *

Ziva sat on an autopsy table while Ducky examined the cut on the side of her head, and while he lectured her.

"Going into a building with an armed assailant is very foolhardy." The ME chastised her. "You could have been killed."

"I was doing my job, Ducky." Ziva said with a sigh.

She was really becoming annoyed that people kept telling her how dumb her actions were. Tony and McGee had both told her that she should had waited on backup and that that was what teammates were for. And Gibbs had not spoken a single word to her since right after she had woken up. And now Ducky was lecturing her as if she was a child.

"Since when is disobeying a direct order doing your job, Officer David?" Gibbs asked, as he entered autopsy. He still looked very upset.

"I did not want him to get away." She said, her annoyance evident in her voice.

Gibbs stood directly in front of her and leaned forward, resting his hands on either side of her. His face was an inch in front of hers and his voice was hard. "You were ordered to hold position."

Then he straightened up and turned to the ME. "How is she, Duck?"

"She will be fine. But I do not want her alone tonight, she has a slight concussion."

"She'll stay with me."

"I do not need a babysitter." Ziva hissed, as she jumped off of the table.

"It wasn't a suggestion." Gibbs said, glaring at her. "We still have to have a little talk."

"But…." Ziva started, but Gibbs was already walking out of the room. "We leave in thirty." He said, without looking back.

* * *

Ziva stormed into the ladies room and turned on the faucet at the sink, rinsing her face with the cool water. She wasn't sure if she should be angry or scared. She knew that Gibbs was angry, and that he insisted on her staying the night with him. She was worried about being alone with the man.

The door opened and Tony walked in.

"This is the ladies room." Ziva said, not in the mood for him.

"If you can go into the men's room, I can go into the ladies room." Tony said.

"Go away, Tony."

"You really pissed off Gibbs this time." Tony said, ignoring her order. "I thought I was the only one who could do that."

"What do you want?" She asked warily.

"I was just checking on you." His voice held concern. "You had us worried there for a moment."

"I am fine."

"And in trouble."

"Gibbs will get over it." She hoped she sounded more confident about that fact then she felt.

"Yeah, he will." Tony agreed. "After he whips your ass."

"What?" Ziva asked, in shock. "He will not….."

"Yes he will." Tony replied.

Ziva glared at him. She knew that Gibbs had spanked him a few times, and even spanked McGee a couple times. But surly he would not try to spank her.

"It's how the Boss man deals with agents who screw up, and you screwed up."

"I am not an NCIS agent." Ziva said, starting to worry that Tony was correct and that Gibbs did indeed plan on spanking her. "I am Mossad."

"You are under Gibbs' command."

"He will not spank me." She said, with confidence. "I will not permit it."

"Look Ziva." Tony said, his voice once again holding concern. "It'll hurt like hell, it always does. But when it's over, it's over. No official reprimands, no black marks on your record."

"I am not a child."

Before Tony could respond, the door opened and McGee stuck his head in. His eyes were firmly clamped shut.

"Ziva?" He asked.

"I am here McGee."

"Gibbs said to tell you it's time to go, he'll meet you by the elevator." Then he quickly left.

"Make the right choice, Ziva." Tony said, as she was leaving the bathroom.

Ziva walked to the elevator with her head held high, after grabbing her go bag from her desk. She nodded her greeting to Gibbs, then walked into the elevator. She hoped she seemed confident and un-worried about what would happen. But her stomach had started getting butterflies.

They made it to the parking garage and Ziva headed towards her car, but a strong hand on her shoulder stopped her.

"We take my car."

"I can drive." Ziva said through clenched teeth.

"Not with a concussion."

Ziva sighed and followed him to his car, sliding into the passenger seat. Gibbs got in and started the car, then they began the quiet ride to Gibbs' house.

* * *

Hope you like it, should have the rest up tomorrow or maybe later today. Let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Ziva followed Gibbs into his house, both were in bad moods. Gibbs was angry over Ziva's actions and Ziva was angry because Gibbs was angry.

Gibbs walked over to a safe box on the fireplace mantle and placed his gun in it, then he looked over at Ziva.

"I prefer to keep it on me." She said, referring to her own gun.

"Put it in." Gibbs ordered. "I'm going to be checking on you throughout the night and I do not want shot by accident."

"Who said it would be by accident?" Ziva asked, glaring at him.

"Drop the attitude, Ziva."

They glared at each other for a few more moments, then Ziva looked away. With a deep sigh, she removed her gun and placed it into the safe box.

"You can sleep in my room, I'll take the couch."

"I will take the couch."

"Why are you arguing with everything I say?" Gibbs asked, his patience almost gone. He was standing directly in front of her, their faces only inches apart.

"Because you are being an infuriating ass." Ziva replied, not backing down.

"You are skating on very thin ice." Gibbs growled.

"I did nothing wrong."

"You disobeyed a direct order."

"I was doing my job."

"You almost got yourself killed."

By that time, their voiced were very close to shouting.

"It is my life."

"Not while you are on my team."

"Why are you so angry? Colby and everyone else were caught. I know I screwed up, I should not have let his partner get the drop on me. But get under it, it is over."

"Over."

"What?"

"Get over it, not under it. And do you really think that is why I'm pissed?"

"What other reason is it?"

Gibbs glared at her for another moment, then his face softened. He realized that she did in fact think that was the only reason he was mad. Gibbs gently took her by the elbow and led her over to the couch, then he sat on the coffee table and she sat on the couch.

"I am not mad at you for letting Colby's partner get the drop on you." He said, looking into her eyes. "I am angry that you put yourself into that position, after being ordered to hold position."

"I was doing my job." Ziva repeated again. She was unsure about Gibbs' change in moods. He went from furious to kind in a matter of seconds.

"Our job is dangerous." He said. "Always has been and always will be. We put our lives on the line every time we put on our badges, nothing can change that. But there are steps we can take to lessen that risk some, and one major step is to wait for back up."

"He could have gotten away." Ziva said, her voice small. She was finally realizing that Gibbs was upset because she could have gotten killed; she realized that he cared more about her safety then he did about the case. It was the first time in her life that one of her superiors was truly concerned about her.

"The docks were surrounded, we would have caught him. There was no reason for you to go in there alone." Then his voice got hard again. "And there is never a good reason for you to disobey a direct order, especially in a dangerous situation."

"I am sorry, Gibbs." She said, with sincerity. "I should have listened to you."

"Yes you should have." Gibbs said, his glare returning. "We will discuss that in the morning, go to bed and get some sleep."

Ziva opened her mouth to object being sent to bed at nine thirty, but Gibbs' glare intensified and she closed her mouth and stood up.

"Good night Gibbs." She grabbed her go bag that she had dropped in the floor and headed to the bedroom.

"Good night Ziva."

* * *

Ziva lay awake and thought about the days events, several questions raced through her mind. No one had ever valued her safety more then the job she was assigned to do, not even her own Father.

Eli David made it clear early on that no risk was too great, that the assignment was the most important thing. She knew that Gibbs cared more for her then her Father ever did.

But she was still upset about the way he was treating her, she was not a child. She was an adult and was able to make her own decisions about how to do her job.

The bedroom door creaked open and she felt a warm hand on her shoulder.

"You awake?" A soft voice asked.

Ziva rolled over onto her back and looked up at Gibbs.

"What's your name?" He asked. With her concussion, he wanted to make sure she was not confused.

"Little Red Riding Hood." Ziva replied. If he was determined to do this all night long, then she was determined to make it difficult for him.

Gibbs' reply was to gently take her shoulder and roll her over onto her stomach. Before Ziva had time to react, she felt three very hard swats land to her pajama covered butt. Then she was rolled back onto her back.

She looked up into the angry eyes of Gibbs. "Name." He repeated.

"Ziva David." She replied, surprised about what had just happened. She answered a few more questions before Gibbs was convinced that she was not having any complications due to the concussion.

"Get some sleep." He said. "I'll be back in later."

After he left, Ziva rolled onto her side and tried to rub the sting out of her butt, those three swats hurt.

* * *

The next morning, Ziva woke to the smell of bacon frying and coffee brewing. Gibbs had came in a few more times during the night and had woken her to ask questions, each time she answered them without compliant.

Ziva quickly dressed and went into the kitchen, Gibbs was standing beside the stove cooking bacon.

"Would you like for me to make the eggs?" She asked.

"Sounds good."

They worked side by side while they cooked, neither speaking. Ziva was still confused about Gibbs. The man was a total contradiction. He was usually callous and distant, always barking orders and expecting them to be obeyed without question. But he was also a very gentle and sensitive man.

She was no longer mad at him for treating her the way he was, in fact, she was happy. She had never had anyone who cared for her, who wanted to keep her safe. It felt nice to have that.

She was still worried about being spanked by him. It wasn't the pain that worried her though, it was the vulnerability. She always wanted to be in control of her emotions, and she wasn't sure if she could do that with him whipping her butt.

But she had decided to accept whatever punishment he felt she deserved, she trusted him. She knew he would never punish her more then she deserved, and she agreed that she did deserve it. She knew she was wrong, that she should have waited on backup.

She was part of a team now and she had to learn to work within that team. She knew she had to stop taking so many risks with her life.

After dinner was fixed, they sat down and began eating.

"Are you going to spank me?" Ziva asked.

Gibbs swallowed the eggs in his mouth and asked, "If you want me too."

"Of course I do not want you too." Ziva said, looking down at her plate. Then she looked up and added, "But I do not wish to have a blue mark on my record, and I know I screwed up."

"It's black mark." He corrected. "And yes, you did screw up. Big time."

"I will accept your punishment."

"After breakfast."

Ziva nodded and they finished their meal in silence, then washed the dishes.

"Let's get this over with so we can move on." Gibbs said. "Go to my room and wait on me."

Ziva nodded and did as she was told, but she didn't have long to wait. All too soon for her liking, the door opened and Gibbs walked in. Ziva couldn't help the involuntary intake of breath at the sight of the paddle he was carrying.

"I do not give orders just to hear the sound of my own voice, I do it to get the job done and to keep my people as safe as possible. And you do not take unnecessary risks with your life. If we had not been so close and came in when we did, then you would be dead. And that is not acceptable. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Ziva said.

"Bend over." He nodded towards the bed.

Ziva turned around and bent over, placing both hands on the bed. Gibbs stepped beside her and placed a hand on her back.

The first swat landed hard and caused her to gasp slightly. The second and third landed quickly after just as hard, but she remained silent. After a brief pause, the fourth fifth and sixth landed. Ziva felt her eyes watering and tried not to cry out, but was finding it difficult.

Her butt was on fire and extremely sore, and she had the feeling that the paddling was far from over.

Three more landed in quick succession, and Ziva could not stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

"Ahhh!!" The next three brought a cry of pain from her and her crying intensified. Ziva was certain that she would not be sitting any time soon without considerable pain.

"Ahhhhhh!" The last three landed hard and Ziva started sobbing out her pain.

Gibbs tossed the paddle on the bed and stepped back to give her a few moments. Ziva slowly stood up and hung her head, crying.

Gibbs gently turned her around and wrapped his arms around her, rubbing a hand up and down her back. Ziva surprised herself by returning the embrace and burying her face into his chest.

Normally, she would be ashamed to show her emotion. But she knew Gibbs would not judge her for crying, he would not consider her weak.

After a few moments, they pulled apart. Gibbs placed a finger under her chin and gently lifted her head so they were eye to eye.

"It's over." He said. "All's forgiven."

Ziva nodded, but did not speak. She didn't trust her voice just yet.

"You have five minutes to wash up, then we leave for NCIS."

Ziva's eyes grew wide, there was no way she wanted to sit in a car for the trip. Especially with Gibbs' driving.

"I will take the bus." She said. At least on the bus, she could stand up during the ride.

"Five minutes." Gibbs repeated. "And not a second more. I will meet you a the car."

Ziva slowly walked into the bathroom to splash cold water onto her face, her sore bottom made the short trip painful. She did not know how she would be able to ride all the way to NCIS sitting.

Four minutes and twenty nine seconds later, Ziva walked out the front door and headed for the car. She opened the door and smiled slightly at the pillow sitting in the passenger seat. She carefully sat down, wincing as her butt made contact.

The ride to work was painful, but she noticed that Gibbs did not drive as he normally did. He still drove very fast, but he was careful not the hit any holes or bumps in the road. He parked the car and opened the door, but Ziva grabbed his arm before he could exit the car.

"I want to thank you." She said, once he looked over at her.

"You thinking me for paddling your six?" He asked with a smirk, although he knew what she thinking him for.

"Yes." Was the reply. "And for caring enough to do it. When I joined your team you told me that it was your job to teach me the rules. You are a very good teacher."

THE END

Please let me know what you think. I have another story started and will post very soon.


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